Accuride Corp. says its Fix and Grow strategy is working, reporting operating income for the second quarter doubled year over year. The first half of 2014 is the first time it's reported positive net income since 2007.

A proposed Minnesota ban on lead wheel weights for all vehicles within the state, including passenger and commercial vehicles, has passed a final vote in both the state house and senate and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Mark Dayton.

Webb Wheel Severe Duty has announced the appointments of Nate Nielsen as director of sales and Jeremy Zills to manager of engineering. These latest organizational changes at Webb Severe Duty are components in the strategic plans of the business unit to focus on premium value-add brake drum solutions for severe duty applications such as transit bus, motor coach, and refuse trucks.

Bridgestone Americas Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp., has completed its Agro Operations Guayule Research Farm in Eloy, Ariz. The research farm will supply guayule biomass for rubber production at the company’s BioRubber Process Research Center, which is currently under construction in Mesa, Ariz.

Accuride Corp. has completed the sale of substantially all of the assets of its Imperial Group business to Imperial Group Manufacturing Inc., a new company formed and capitalized by Wynnchurch Capital for total cash consideration of $30 million at closing, plus a contingent earn-out totaling up to $2.25 million.

LAS VEGAS -- When Rick Dauch arrived as the president and CEO of a struggling Accuride in February 2011, the latest in a string of top executives, he was able to convince the board that they needed to make serious investments in fixing problems before they could embark on a global growth strategy. Two years later, most of the fixing in the "Fix and Grow" strategy has been completed